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McChrystal’s Afghanistan Authority Grows

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It seems that our coalition partners in Afghanistan now see the value and experience of GEN McChrystal. I figure they must since they are allowing their troops to be put under his command.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, is being given expanded authority over U.S. and NATO forces in the country, a defense official said Thursday. The move will put all but a small number of U.S. special operations forces and some support troops from other nations under the command of the American Army general. McChrystal is already commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan but the additional authorities will give him greater control over the estimated 121,000 international troops in the country than any of his predecessors have had. He “will have U.S. operational control of all U.S. forces less a small number of special operations forces,” an American defense official told AFP on condition of anonymity. As the NATO commander, the only forces not under McChrystal’s control will be a special U.S. task force that handles detainees, the small number of special operations forces and some support troops from other nations, the official said. McChrystal’s expanded authorities come amid a surge in U.S. forces to Afghanistan that will boost foreign troop levels in the country to 150,000 by August. NATO officers, meanwhile, are planning a new U.S.-led military command in southern Afghanistan to prepare for a major offensive against the Taliban bastion of Kandahar, officials said Thursday. The new command would oversee military operations in Helmand province, where an allied offensive has taken on Taliban forces in Marjah, while an existing NATO command under British leadership would be freed up to focus on the pivotal campaign planned for Kandahar, defense officials told AFP.